Empowering Youth, One Pair of Shoes at a Time

Amy Jang, the president of the non-profit organization ‘Youth Hope Summit,’ hosted an event on June 3 in which pairs of sneakers were given to 155 students of low-income families in the “LA’s BEST” program, an after school enrichment program at Hobart Elementary School in Los Angeles. The week prior, Youth Hope Summit also donated shoes to 17 students at Golden Hill Elementary School in Fullerton, CA.

Jang is a freshman at Troy High School, located in Fullerton, and a member of Thanksgiving Church in Buena Park. Alex Yu, the director of Youth Hope Summit who also serves at Thanksgiving Church, and Jang’s family were also present at the June 3 event. Scott Park, the CEO of ‘Happy Teresa Footwear,’ also personally delivered the shoes and helped distribute them during the event.

The eyes of the students were sparkling throughout the event, and the students -- who filled up the indoor auditorium of Hobart Elementary School -- cheered with excitement every time a name was called. Students enthusiastically ran up to receive their shoes.

Jang shared that one event that led to the founding of Youth Hope Summit was learning that Malala Yousafzai received a Nobel Peace Prize. With the help of many adults, Jang established the organization and raised funds to provide shoes for students in difficult circumstances. For more information, visit www.youthhopesummit.org.